The outskirts of the Demon Realm Capital, simply put, refer to the areas under the direct jurisdiction of Great Demon King Ai Yue, excluding the Demon King Castle and the towns built around it.
The territory of the Demon Realm generally follows a regular shape: the territories of the six Demon Kings surround the Great Demon King’s domain. The latter is structured in concentric circles from the inside out, starting with the Demon King Castle, followed by natural environments like the surrounding forests and lakes, then the urban district of the Demon Realm Capital, and finally, the outskirts. As a whole, the area is quite massive.
Using a portal, Ai Yue and her group soon arrived at the entrance of the dungeon instance.
“This is the place,” Ai Yue said.
A gate made of an unknown mechanical structure appeared abruptly on the horizon, giving off a bizarre dreamcore vibe.
Relics of the Lost World Mechanism — this was the name of the instance, and one that Ai Yue had designed herself.
Initially, she felt the world’s monotonous magical style was a bit too dull, so she added ruins from an ultra-ancient civilization, leaning toward a sci-fi aesthetic as much as possible. While it was called sci-fi, it was actually the pinnacle of magic and industry working together. After all, sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, and a world with magic doesn’t mean it won’t develop science.
However, this instance was clearly different from other ancient ruins. As the name suggested, it was the “World Mechanism” of a lost world, and its significance was beyond comparison.
As for what made it different…
“Let’s hurry inside!” Kurimu excitedly pulled the others toward the entrance.
The reason Kurimu had been throwing a tantrum earlier was that she wanted to go on an adventure after hearing about this new instance, only to be stopped by Bululu. Now that her wish was granted, her mood had fully recovered.
“But is this really okay, Mo… Master Ai Yue?” Bululu asked with some concern.
She had stopped Kurimu because the situations inside dungeon instances were unpredictable, and this one was the most eerie among all recorded instances. If something went wrong, even a Demon King could end up trapped forever, becoming part of the treasure.
“…There is no need to worry about that.”
Although Ai Yue wanted to remark on the word Bululu almost blurted out, there was nothing she could do. She had played the mother role so convincingly that the influence on the two children remained even now. Not long ago, both had their desire for a mother awakened, clinging to Ai Yue and calling her “Mom.” She could only do her best to pat their heads and comfort them with gentle words.
‘Sigh, even in my previous life, I had no experience with this, and yet here I am, being a mother.’
“Mom, come on!” Unlike Bululu, Kurimu didn’t even intend to change her way of addressing her.
Oh well. Kurimu had lost her parents at a young age and was forced to inherit the position of Demon King. What was the harm in being her mother for a while?
“Alright, alright. Don’t rush.”
Being half-dragged by Kurimu to the front of the gate, the massive scale of the entrance became even more apparent. Even a troll would look small and scrawny in front of it.
“According to reports, this instance has been here for some time, but the investigation team hasn’t confirmed how to open the gate yet. We’ve only confirmed it opening briefly once. Fearing they wouldn’t be able to return immediately, they didn’t send anyone in to investigate,” Bululu explained.
The information Bululu had gathered from the investigation team was limited, which was another reason for her worry.
Normally, Demon Kings managing nearby territories would send people to investigate together — both for safety and to prevent any one Demon King from monopolizing the loot. Aside from common antiques, money, and items left by previous adventurers, the most valuable things were naturally occurring or ancient relics. The Deep Small Scythe and Glass Kaleidoscope Ai Yue had brought out earlier were technically from instances. The strength of those weapons showed how powerful dungeon drops could be, far beyond what current players could craft.
“The method to open it is unknown?” Ai Yue didn’t care.
She was the designer; how could she not know how to open the door?
“Ahem! That… FBI OPEN UP!”
*Hum…*
As soon as the words left her mouth, the gate made a low, heavy sound. Simultaneously, the mechanical structures began to shift and transform, eventually forming a circular frame. Next, energy gathered, creating a portal to an unknown location within the frame.
“This… Master Ai Yue even knows how to open the gate…”
“It’s nothing. It was just a certain language.”
Ai Yue wasn’t lying. Normally, the entrance required certain conditions to be met, but she had left a backdoor — a secret phrase.
“So that’s how it is! As expected of Master Ai Yue, your knowledge is so profound!”
“Enough of that. We need to go through this portal to reach the instance. First, check if we have all the necessary items.”
Even among ruins, there were many types. The Relics of the Lost World Mechanism belonged to the type where only an entrance appears, teleporting people to a special space or a distant location. Unlike caves or castles that existed physically on the map, you couldn’t find another way in or force an exit to the outside.
Basically, you couldn’t skip the level.
But Ai Yue didn’t need to do that. As the lead developer, she knew this place like the back of her hand. Plus, with two top-tier fighters by her side, there was no pressure at all.
As for why she was checking her items? Those were for her own safety. She was currently a glass cannon. She could use defensive magic, but if she was too slow or her defense broke, there wouldn’t even be a body left to bury. People would just think she turned invisible or blinked away.
Why come if it’s dangerous? Because of the loot! Given the name, the treasures inside were surely remarkable. Especially for the current Ai Yue, they would be incredibly useful.
“Everything is confirmed. All the items Master Ai Yue requested are here.”
“Then let’s go.”
The three of them stepped into the portal.